Gaara Meets Maru: Boy Meets Girl, Ninja Style!
by blackdragon333
Summary: This is a random story I did when I was bored. It's about how Gaara meets my OC Maru. Gaara's WAY OOC in this, but I have this theory that if Gaara just had a friend, he wouldn't kill people and stuff. So yeah. Be gentle! It's my first story.
1. The First Encounter

Ok guys, I've redone this chapter. I'll be redoing the entire story, so you should check it out! It should be much better lol I wrote the previous version when I was 12. Sorry, it's still kinda lame. Bear with me!

The stars twinkled down on a quiet town. Nearly all the inhabitants were sleeping, resting up for the Chuunin matches the next day. There appeared to be only one awake. The redheaded boy sat on a roof staring up at the moon with unreadable aquamarine eyes. Dark black shadows under his eyes showed that the soul inside was troubled, if anyone cared to try to reach him.

But so far, no one had.

He stared around the city, thinking, 'So this is Konoha? It's certainly well-kept...no crumbling statues in this village.' As he looked over at a neighboring building, he was surprised to see a girl who looked to be about his age climbing out the window. He wasn't sure if she was contemplating suicide or what, until she jumped onto the top of her roof, letting him know that she wasn't suicidal, but that she was a ninja. Then, she jumped over beside him.

1st Person View

I jumped in surprise. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't see you there. Mind if I sit with you? I'd go somewhere else, but this is my favorite roof." I smiled. "You picked a good spot."

He leaned forward, into the light of the moon, letting me see his face. "You're not afraid of me?"

"No...why should I be afraid?" I was far from afraid. Actually, I thought he was kind of cute.

"I...I don't know, but most people take a look at my eyes and are terrified."

I looked into his eyes to see for myself what was supposed to be so scary. "Hmm..." I said thoughtfully, thinking that the circles under his eyes showed me more than I was supposed to know. "...there's nothing there but a lot of sadness and pain."

It was his turn to be surprised. "Who...who _are_ you?" He asked me incredulously, like he couldn't believe that I actually cared about him being sad. I didn't know then that he was thinking exactly that.

"Saruberu Marurita. But...you can call me Maru." I smiled.

(A/N Oh dear...hahaha I can't believe I wrote this thing. MAJOR revising needed. It should probably go into third person. but idk.)

"My...my name is Gaara. Gaara of the Desert Waterfall."

"I've heard of you!" I said excitedly, annoying even myself with my tone of voice. I settled down a little to add, "Naruto was telling me that you saved Konohamaru from...oh...what was his name?...Kankurou, I think."

"Yes, it's Kankurou. My older brother."

"Oh? And so Temari is your sister?"

"That's right. I'm 12, Kankarou's 14, and Temari is 16."

(A/N I wrote a story where the main characters are 12?! WTF?)

"I see."

As we talked, he ended up telling me about his father trying to assassinate him, and finally about his uncle that pretended to care, then told him that no one had ever loved him.

"That's horrible! I hope you didn't believe him, Gaara. What kind of a bastard tells an innocent child that no one..." I snorted. "I hope you knew that's not true."

Gaara looked at me in surprise, thinking, 'Not true? Just who _is_ this girl? She doesn't seem to be afraid...not even a little bit. Either she's stupid, or she's very brave.'

Then, after that, he told me about Shukaku. "I...I hate him, so much. Shukaku is the reason I can't sleep at night. If I sleep, he eats away at my personality and I do a full-body transformation, into him. I haven't slept in twelve years."

"Gaara...wow, that's...absolutely incredible. You've gone twelve years without sleep to protect people from Shukaku. I'm glad Tatsu's not like that. I like to sleep." I smiled.

"Tatsu?" Gaara asked me with a questioning, urgent look in his eyes. It took me a minute to realize that the expression there was hope. Hope that someone understood, at long last.

"Yeah...he's a ten-tailed dragon. He's not a demon, but he still lives inside me, and I can still draw off of his power sometimes. See, I've lived in this village all my life, but my dad and mom only came here because I was dying. Dad sealed Tatsu inside of me when I was a baby because Tatsu was the last of his kind, and he was going to be killed. So instead of letting him die, Dad put him in me, but something went wrong, and the seal was balanced wrong. Konoha was the closest village, and they brought me there. They healed me and fixed the seal, and mom and dad decided to stay here in case I should have any problems with Tatsu in the future. We're moving soon, though. They think that I'd be better off somewhere else."

We talked all night, and then Gaara asked, rather abruptly, "Are you going to go watch the Chuunin exams tomorrow morning?"

"I wish! No...I have a solo mission to do tomorrow, actually."

As I looked at him, I thought he looked a bit relieved. Then, unable to think of a reason why he'd be glad I wasn't at the Chuunin exams, unless he didn't want me to see him fight, I decided that it was a trick of the light.

He sighed and then spoke. "Sometimes...there are things that you don't want to happen, but you know they must. I hate it when that happens."

He was trying to give me a hint, but I only realized that in hindsight, looking back on that night on a much later date. At the time, I just smiled at him, thinking he was making conversation. "Yeah...I know what you mean."

An hour or so later, Gaara and I were sitting side by side, and he was telling me about his childhood. Not just the bare details, like he had been before...no, now he was telling me how he had _felt_.

He finished a long, heartfelt dialogue with the next sentence. "No one...no one cared about me. No one ever has...and no one ever will." Then he shut his bright eyes sadly.

He opened them in shock when he felt my arms around him. Even I was a bit surprised at my own daring, but I spoke anyway. "Gaara...I know we only just met, but I care about you, very much. So please, don't feel like you don't have any friends. I might not be much, or the most popular, or the smartest...but I'm a friend."

"And...that's enough. That's all I've ever needed." I saw the pain hidden behind his eyes as he asked, "Do you know how it feels, Maru? To just want a friend, and to have them fear you when you try to join their games?"

"I...know how it is, Gaara. It's not so easy having Tatsu inside of me, either. I've always been so strong, because of the training I had to go through to be able to hold him and because of the fight for my life...the other kids were afraid of me. Now, they're catching up to me, but everyone but Naruto and Hinata are still afraid. It hurts, Gaara. It hurts."

He looked over at me, but I wasn't watching him. I was staring out into the distance, memories coursing through my head. Therefore, I missed the look he gave me. If I had seen it, I would've known without a doubt that Sabaku no Gaara had found a friend.

I looked at my watch and saw that it was almost five A.M. I groaned inwardly, knowing that I had to leave for my mission at eight. I yawned in anticipation of the next day's tired feeling. "I'd better go to sleep, Gaara. I only have about two and a half hours to rest."

He told me later that he was never sure why he did and said what he did and said next, but also that he was glad he did."Then sleep." He slid his arm around me. "I won't let you fall."

I smiled at him. "Gaara...you're sweet." Then, I fell asleep.

He stared down at me and wondered what it would be like if he could sleep. Knowing that it would be bad if my parents found me missing, he hugged me to him, took me down to the window I had come out of, laid me down in my bed, covered me up, and kissed my cheek gently and instinctively. Then, feeling vaguely confused, he set the alarm for 7:30 and went back to his roof to prepare for his task. He found it very hard to do, now that he had met me, and instead wrote a letter to me. He slipped it in my window, holding it in place with the sill.

His next words were murmured to me through my window as he balanced on the sill. "You might not know it, Maru...but you're the most kind-hearted person I've ever met. And...I thank you."

So yeah. Chapter one lol. I think it's better than it was, but it still needs some revising, and Idk if I want to switch to third person or what. I dunno.

Well, please don't flame it. I already know it sucks!


	2. We're Moving WHERE!

Here's the next chapter! It'll be better too :D

When I got back from my mission the next day, my parents were both silently grave.

I stared in a nervous manner back and forth between them. I had never seen them so solemn before, and I knew something was wrong already by everything I had seen when I was coming into the village. "Mom? Dad? What happened? There was so much crap everywhere when I came in...I didn't even report to Hokage-sama!"

"Maru..." Dad looked at me again, reconsidering. "Maybe you'd better sit down, honey." When I had sat down impatiently, needing to know what was happening, he continued. "Yesterday, after the Chuunin exams...the Sand and the Sound revealed an alliance. It wouldn't have been bad...except it was against Konoha. They declared war on us, and invaded the village. The Sand and Sound's alliance was broken when we found that Orochimaru was disguised as the Kazekage of Suna, and he killed both the Kazekage and the Hokage."

"N-no..." I slumped across the table as tears leaked from my eyes. "No way..."

"Honey...I know. We all miss the Hokage-sama." said my mother gently.

Although I felt bad for the Hokage, there was only one name in my mind. 'Gaara...that was his dad...and now, if our villages are at war with each other...we'll never see each other again!'

I went up to my room, wanting to be alone. Just as I was getting ready to have a good cry, I felt a slight breeze. I went over to shut the window, wiping the tears from my face, and found a scroll from Gaara.

'Maru-san, I'm so sorry. Suna and Oto have allied to capture Konoha. After meeting you, I don't want to do this, but I'm under strict orders from my father, who is, as you know, the Kazekage. If you could ever find it in your heart to forgive me, you are still my best friend, as you always will be. I'm sorry, Maru, once again...I wish I had been able to stay in Konoha and get to know you better. But...my village needs me as well. Maru...I'll think of you until I see you again, whenever that will be. No matter what the outcome of this battle, I still hope to see you once more. And...if we win...I'm sorry. I wish we had lost.'

His letter made me smile, and then I started to cry even more, thinking of Gaara and wishing he was there with me instead of in some war council in Suna where he would be being looked at as and viewed as only a weapon, not a human with thoughts and feelings. Later, I cried again when I found out that he was in Konoha to help with Sasuke, and I was on a special mission with my mother, so I had missed him.

A year and a half after that, my mom and dad sat down with me. "Honey, we've decided that it's time for us to transfer villages. We're not sure where we're going, but since Konoha is the highest-ranking ninja village, we can go anywhere." My dad said. Then he thought about it. "Well, anywhere except for Oto."

"Oto?" asked my mother.

"The Sound village." Replied my dad. "Anywhere but there."

I nodded. "As long as we go."

I sat at home and waited while they talked to Tsunade-sama. When they came home, they told me where we were moving. Before they even explained that we were like ambassadors, I screamed happily and hugged them both tightly.

We were moving to the Sunagakure, the village hidden in the sand.


	3. A Moonlit Walk

Lol I forgot to end chapter 2. Oh well.

"Why are you so happy, honey?" asked Mom after explaining that we were going to help with diplomacy between the two villages.

"Well, I never told you guys because I just never felt like it, but the night before the Chuunin matches, I couldn't sleep, so I went up onto the roof. I didn't like our roof because I would've fallen off, so I moved over to the next roof, which is flatter. There, I met this guy, a Sand ninja. We stayed up nearly all night talking, and he was a better friend than I've ever had here in Konoha. I haven't seen him in a long, long time, but I miss him a lot. And now I'll get to see him!"

"Well, that's good. You'll have already made a friend, even before we move there!" My dad smiled at me.

I smiled right back. "We're moving to Suna!" I squealed happily, hugged my parents, and ran to my room to pack my stuff.

Three days later, we arrived in the Hidden Sand village. We spent all day bringing in boxes and furniture, so I wasn't allowed to leave the house until eight that night.

Immediately, the second after the OK had been given, I took to the streets. Gaara had told me so much about his village, I knew the way to his house. I was perched on the roof directly across from his house when I saw him looking out of his window. His shirt was off, so it took me a few seconds to realize that he was crying.

'Gaara...he needs me.' I thought, then jumped down onto his windowsill.

"Hey." I said with a smile.

"M-Maru!"

He threw his arms around me, and I smiled at him happily, unsuccessfully trying to ignore the fact that his shirt was off and I was touching his chest. "Good to see you too, Gaara-kun."

"Oh, come on in." He stepped back from the sill and let me inside. He sat on his bed, and I sat in a chair across from him. Normally I would've been feeling awkward, being in a guy's bedroom, but Gaara was my best friend.

But I hadn't forgotten the tears that had been on his face, either. "So...spill." I said in a no-nonsense way.

"What...I don't know what you're talking about." He avoided eye contact with me, so even if I hadn't known he was lying, I would've been able to tell.

"Gaara...people don't cry like that for no reason."

"I...if you must know...I'm the Kazekage now, and it's a lot of pressure. And, also...I usually cry when I think of you." He blushed in embarrassment.

I smiled happily at him. "Well, I'm here now. So don't cry, ok?"

He smiled back and nodded happily. I stayed and talked with him until nearly two in the morning. Then, I headed home to get some sleep.

The next night, we were taking a moonlit walk when we heard malevolent laughter coming from the shadows.

"Hahaha...the 15-year-old Kazekage and his pretty little girlfriend." said a voice.

"Stay close to me." Gaara warned.

"Only if you stay close to me." I grinned at him, teeth bright in the moonlight. We pressed our backs together to defend them.

"Look at him!" laughed one shinobi.

"He thinks he can protect her." said another.

"She thinks she doesn't _need_ to be protected!" jeered a fourth.

The ninja emerged into the light, and we saw that we were surrounded. We had already known that, though. Their taunting, intended to unnerve us, had only given away their positions.

We looked around and saw that there were eight of them and two of us. I leapt to attack, and once Gaara knew I would be alright, so did he. We took care of them with ease. Neither of us had actually seen the other fight, so we were both pretty surprised at that. We were also surprised to find that neither of us had killed.

When Gaara walked me home that night, we stood out on the porch for a little while, just talking. Then, because I 'just looked so beautiful standing there in the moonlight', as Gaara said later, he leaned in and kissed me, smack in the middle of my lips. Just as our lips touched, the door opened, and my dad was standing there. Gaara and I were both red-faced, and my dad paled.

"Honey? Our daughter is on the porch, kissing the Kazekage..." He shut the door, and Gaara and I looked at each other and laughed.

Gaara swallowed and smiled nervously at me, and I knew something big was coming.

"Maru...will you be my girlfriend?"

Well I bet no one saw THAT coming. sarcasm lol


	4. Last Chappie

Chapter four! wooooooo

I blushed, then smiled. "Well, of course."

He kissed me once more, then went home. I went inside with a silly smile on my face. My parents looked at me incredulously. "THE KAZEKAGE?!"

"Ahem...Ahem..." I sidestepped out of the room to my room.

I began to unpack my things, and I felt a draft. I went to the window to close it with a strange sense of deja vu, and I found a scroll. I smiled. 'Gaara...'

'Sorry about that, Maru, I didn't mean for your father to catch us! But...would you like to train with me sometime? Say tomorrow, seven to eleven? If you want to, meet me at the fountain at 6:30. Yes, I know, training is a crappy excuse for a date. But I don't want to rush your parents!'

I smiled at the letter and placed it in my special box beside the other one. I met Gaara at 6:30 the next day, and he took my hand and led me out to the sand dunes.

"We could train...or we could talk. Which do you prefer?"

I looked at the sand dunes, then looked at Gaara. "Let's talk." I smiled. "I've had enough training for a while."

He smiled back at me. "I was hoping you'd say something like that."

He molded the sand in the largest mound to create a sand cave for us to sit in, out of the sun and sandy wind. "Maru...ever since I met you, I couldn't get you out of my head. You've been with me ever since that night before the Chuunin finals, and I've missed you more than anything."

"Gaara, you're sweet. I've felt the same for you. My parents thought I was crying for the Hokage...I was sad for the old man, but I was crying because I missed you."

"Maru...please, never cry for me...I never want to be the source of your tears."

"Same to you, Gaara!" I smiled, then leaned in and boldly pressed my lips against his. "I missed you."

He pressed his lips back to mine. "I missed you too."

Our lips pressed together with increasing force, and Gaara gently leaned forward to make me lie down. He lay on top of me and pressed his lips to mine almost hungrily. I pressed my lips back to his happily and forcefully.

Inside, I was thinking hard. 'Damn it...I always thought I was a strong person, and that I wouldn't just give myself away. But...if Gaara asked...there's no way I could refuse him. Oh well.' I mentally shrugged. Then, I broke the kiss by laughing. "Yes, this is definitely talking."

Gaara laughed too. "I don't know...I kind of like this kind of talking." He said with a sly grin.

I smiled back half-heartedly.

"What's wrong?" He asked, picking up on it right away.

"I...I...it's just that I guess I always thought I was a strong person, with strong morals and beliefs. I always told myself that I wouldn't give myself away before I was married...but if you asked me, Gaara, I would say yes in a second."

He blushed deep, dark red. "Don't worry then, Maru. I won't ask you until we're married."

I smiled at him. "Gaara...I love you."

"I love you too, Maru."

Still smiling, I laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Dad was shocked when I kissed you last night...I'd love to see his face if he had seen us five minutes ago!"

The End!

As of now, this is the end. If anyone has suggestions for a continuation, or things to add in, let me know! Ideas are gladly accepted!


	5. Chapter 5

Hey, everybody.

Blackdragon333 here.

First off, let me say that I'm sorry I haven't updated in a very long time.

Next, let me say that I won't be updating in a very long time.

Third, let me explain why, and keep in mind that I'm 15, so I'm not overreacting.

On December 6th, 2007, my mother was killed in a car crash, and my baby brother was critically injured. She was 36 years old, and he's 3. A coal truck rear-ended them. This truck was driven by a man the same age and with the same initials as my mother, and he had two children as well. The owner of the company that employed him was my mom's high school sweetheart.

I live with my grandparents now because my father's a deadbeat. They don't have high-speed internet, and frankly, I haven't felt much like writing, though I did write a poem.

I'm sorry, everyone. I'll be posting this on each of my stories, so don't bother reading it twice, unless you want to.

Well, I need to go now. We're going to see my baby brother, and I should be ready when it's time to leave.

Once again, I'm really really really sorry that I won't have the time or the resources to update. Between cleaning out our house and going to visit my brother, along with school, I just got in the time to write this. I'm sorry :(

BlackDragon333 3


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